1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to positionable outdoor supports for birdhouses, bird feeders, lanterns and similar articles, and particularly to an outdoor support temporarily mountable on posts or trees of diverse shapes without penetration of or damage to the post or tree.
2. Description of the Problem
It is often convenient to use an existing tree or pole as a support for a fixture such as camp lantern, a birdhouse, a feeding station, or similar object. All too often, such fixtures have been mounted to a tree or wooden post by hammering a nail into the tree to provide a hook or support point. A nail can penetrate the bark of a tree and damage the tree by providing a point of attack against the tree for insects. Additionally, where used as a temporary support for items such as lanterns, they can pose a dangerous protrusion on which people can be injured. Temporarily mounted birdfeeders have proven a particular problem in campgrounds. A single tree may have nails hammered into it several times a season as different campers hang feeders and either ignore or miss previously installed nails.
The art has proposed mounting methods for lanterns and other objects which include belts wrapped around objects such as trees thereby avoiding the use of nails. The prior art illustrates positioning of a support against a substantially vertical section of a tree. The favorable positioning of a birdhouse or feeder for viewing of the animals attracted by the structure, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing regular orientation of the supported fixtures would be aided by the ability to use branches which may grow in any one of many directions from a tree trunk.
According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for supporting fixtures from limbs, poles, tree trunks and the like. The apparatus includes a backplane member having front and back major surfaces. At least a first and preferably first and second horizontal rows of a plurality of slots pass through the backplane member from the back to the front major surfaces. A retainer strap is fitted through a pair of slots in each row and is closable to form a circuit, which may be sized to fit around a post, branch or trunk abutting the back major surface of the backplane.
Positionable backplane braces may extend from the back major surface of the backplane to provide horizontal bracing for the system on the post, branch or tree. A fixture support element depends from the front major surface of the backplane member. The fixture support element may include a stationary member, having a major, upward oriented support surface. Alternatively, a support member may be provided which is positionable about a horizontally oriented pivot, such as a hinge. The rotational position of the support member on the hinge may then be fixed by adjustment of a positioning element, such as a strap, a positionable brace, a press in clip holder, adjustable angle brackets, and the like.
Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows.